New Subgenre: Horror Romance

By FPL_Jessica

It’s the season for horror! But did you know there’s a new subgenre? It may even be considered a genre mashup. It’s a combination of Horror and Romance, affectionately known as Horromance. What is this, and what makes it different than other kinds of romance novels? Let’s dive in together!

First of all, there are many subgenres that have been popping up recently in the book community. Platforms like BookTok (TikTok for book lovers) and Bookstagram (Instagram for book lovers) have given the book community a chance to bond over shared interests. Because there are so many kinds of books out there, social media users were finding very niche ways to categorize books that they loved. One of the more popular ones is Romantasy which is a mix of romance and fantasy in one novel. These tend to follow the tropes that everyone loved in romance while having a magic system. So, what does this mean for horror and romance?

The romance genre typically follows very specific beats. The charters meet, they struggle to get together, they get together, they break up, they get together again and live happily ever after. Horror novels are not this way. They may follow some beats but depending on the subgenre of those, there’s no guarantee that it will end happily. This makes an interesting reading experience. You get a bit of romance while the characters are very much fighting for their lives!

One last note: this genre isn’t for everyone. Be sure to read any content warnings before diving into one of these books. But for those that are interested in exploring new genres, here are some recommendations.











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